Narnia's Fifth Savior
by SpiritLoverMuggleborn
Summary: When Hermione was hit by a dark curse in the Department of Mysteries, she expected to be severely injured or to die. She, however, was NOT expecting to wake up in a whole other world with a war of its own. Along with the Pevensies, she will fight to free Narnia from the White Witch's endless winter. Maybe she really was destined to be a savior after all.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction story. I just got this idea and couldn't get it out of my head. I hope you like it and I apologize if the British slang is used incorrectly. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Prologue**

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

_Why is it that we can never have a peaceful year? _This question kept popping up in her head over and over again as they ran away from the Death Eaters. Hermione, Harry and Neville were stumbling through the Department of Mysteries, running into a whole bunch of rooms full of really strange things. As she ran, she wondered where Ron, Ginny and Luna were at and if they were ok.

They entered yet another room followed by two Death Eaters who managed to get through before she could magically lock the door.

"_Impedimenta!" _both bellowed at the same time. The three friends were flung in the air. Neville crashed against a table, Harry smashed against the wall and Hermione felt herself slam against a bookcase.

As all the books toppled on her, she could hear one of the Death Eaters shouting that they had found them. Before he could reveal their location, she stumbled out of the pile of books and aimed her wand at him.

"_Silencio!_" The man's mouth kept moving, but no words came out.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" she heard Harry yell, and the other Death Eater fell forward stiff as a board on the floor.

She turned to congratulate him when she saw his eyes go wide as saucers looking at something behind her. She vaguely heard him yell out her name, but she was too preoccupied with the Death Eater she had silenced standing behind her, his wand raised in her direction. He had taken his mask off, and on the back of her mind she registered that he was Antonin Dolohov, one of the Death Eaters that had escaped from Azkaban and appeared on the Daily Prophet.

She was more intent, however, on the jet of purple light shooting from his wand and coming at her at a very fast pace. She didn't have time to dodge the curse, much less raise a shield. The only thing she could do was stand there and wonder if this was it, if this was how she was going to die. In the next split-second, the curse reached her and she felt a blinding pain in her chest. Then the world went black.

* * *

**Peter's P.O.V.**

They were in so much trouble. When Edmund had hit the ball and it soared up until it crashed into a window, they all went dead silent. Then the panic started to spread around them and they ran into the house and to the broken window. When they got there, the saw that it wasn't just the window that was broken, no that would have been too easy.

_When Mrs. Macready finds us, she'll kill us_, he thought as he assessed the damage. Personally, fifteen seemed a bit too early to die.

"Do you figure we could put it together again?" asked Edmund.

He was wondering that himself when he heard steps coming their way. He looked up, and from the expressions on his sibling's faces he gathered he wasn't imagining things.

"It's Mrs. Macready!" squeaked Lucy with a horror-stricken face. It indeed seemed to be her as they heard her calling out to them and asking what was all the ruckus about.

_Bloody hell_, he thought, _we're dead._

All at once, they started to run away from the voice. Unfortunately, she seemed to be everywhere they went, and they couldn't find a hiding place. _How does this woman move so fast?_ he wondered as, yet again, they turned back around since they could hear her coming from in front of them.

Finally, they got to a door that actually opened and they all shuffled in. He closed the door and then turned around.

"You've got to be joking," said Susan, voicing out his thought.

They were standing in an almost bare room except for a huge wardrobe standing on the far side of the room. It was, in fact, the famous wardrobe that was the door to another world. According to Lucy, at least.

"Come on!" shouted Edmund, motioning to enter the wardrobe.

He knew it was a bad idea, but they really did have to escape from Macready. So they all ran into the wardrobe. As he was last, he made sure to not close the door completely and peeked through the tiny crack. He could see the door handle starting to turn. He started moving back and stumbled into one of his siblings. There were a lot of stepped-on-feet, curses and bumping elbows as they all kept moving backwards.

He noticed that it was taking an awfully long time to reach the back of the wardrobe, but he didn't put much thought into it. Suddenly, instead of the soft fur of the coats, he felt something prickly digging on his side. He grabbed it and realized that it was a branch. _What the bloody hell?!_ he thought, but still kept moving towards what would hopefully be the end of the wardrobe. That's when he stumbled against Susan and they both fell backwards into something wet and cold.

It took a moment for him to register that he was sitting on snow. He turned his head around and saw that they were in a forest covered in snow. It was incredibly beautiful, though for some reason he felt as if there was an aura of sadness around the place. The feeling left him a moment later, and he saw Lucy stand up. She turned to look at them with a smug look on her face that was rarely seen on her.

"Do you believe me now?" she drawled.

He smiled at her and got up, wiping the snow from his pants as he did so. He looked at her with a sheepish expression on his face and put his hands in his pockets.

"I don't suppose a sorry is going to be enough for you, is it?" he pleaded.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes she chortled, "No, but this is." She then threw a snowball at him which got him smack on the face. She laughed heartily and then shrieked as Peter threw a snowball right back at her. Thus ensued a huge snowball war between the Pevensie siblings.

It wasn't until Susan hit Edmund with a snowball and he whined about it that Peter remembered what he had done. He marched up to and angrily poked him on the chest with his finger.

"You little liar!" he accused. "You had been here and still called Lucy a liar about this."

"You didn't believe her either!" Edmund sneered, but they both knew it wasn't the same.

"Apologize to Lucy," ordered Peter. Edmund gave him a glare before turning to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Peter was about to tell him to apologize properly when Lucy chimed in.

"It's ok," she said, and then turned to Edmund with the smug look again on her face; "little kids just don't know when to stop pretending." _Now that's my little sister, throwing his words right back at him._

"Anyway, now that we're here we could explore a little. I know a place not too far that we can go to," Edmund chimed in.

"I think we should go back," said Susan. _Not surprising_, thought Peter drily.

"Well, I think _Lucy_ should decide," he suggested with a little demanding tone. Lucy beamed at him and that was enough for him.

"We should visit Mr. Tumnus," she said. It took him a moment to remember that he was the faun she had found on her first visit to this place- which apparently is called Narnia. He didn't think there was any harm in visiting this Tumnus fella, they would just go for a little while and then return to the house. With that in mind, he turned to address his brother and sisters.

"Ok, Mr. Tumnus it is then." Lucy squealed and grabbed his hand to drag him with her while she talked about how much we would like the faun. He was just happy that his sister was happy too, so he followed along. Little did he know what awaited all of them.

* * *

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

Hermione felt sore all over, and there was a dull pain in her chest. She couldn't move or make herself open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was Dolohov cursing her and the blinding pain. She wondered if she was dead, or if she would wake up in the infirmary, Harry on the bed next to hers probably much worse for the wear than her. He always seemed to end up like that.

That's when she heard it.

There was a soft murmur, too soft to tell what the voice was saying. It sounded as if it were male, and just hearing it gave her a deep sense of comfort and peace. It was a warm and rich voice that made her forget about the pain in her body. She felt safe.

She strained her ears to try to decipher what the voice was saying. Gradually, it became clearer and clearer until she realized that it was repeating the same word over and over.

_Hermione._

_Hermione._

She tried to respond to his call, but found that she still couldn't move.

_Wake up, dear one, _the voice- he- said. She felt a warm and gentle breeze on her face and she was finally able to open her eyes.

She was lying on a clearing in the middle of a forest. All around her were a bunch of little flowers with many different colors, all releasing a sweet aroma that filled her senses. The trees at the edge of the clearing were tall and beautiful, most a rich deep green, but there were a few other trees with different colors scattered around. For a moment, she thought she saw them move with the wind, as if they were dancing. She chalked it up to how disoriented she was when she woke up. She felt the rays of sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the trees and shined upon her.

As she got up, she remembered the voice she had heard when she was still half unconscious. She turned around in circles trying to spot someone hiding behind the trees, but she saw no one.

"Hello?" she yelled. "Is there anyone here?" There was no answer, but she knew that someone must be there, she was sure the voice she heard was not in her head. "I know you're there; please come out!" Still no answer and Hermione was starting to grow frustrated.

She started pacing around the clearing trying to decide if she should risk it and go into the forest. _How in the bloody hell did I end up here?_ Maybe one of the Death Eaters grabbed her and took her here to keep as a prisoner, but even as she thought it she knew that wasn't possible. They weren't stupid enough to leave her untied. _Besides, this place is _way_ too cheery for Voldemort_, she thought drily. Not only that, she still felt the same peace and safety she had when she first heard the voice. That thought brought her right back to the problem at hand. How did he- because she was sure that voice belonged to a he- know her name? Why would he bother to try and wake her up if he was just going to disappear once she did? She huffed in frustration. Sometimes she hated her curious mind that simply couldn't leave a problem alone.

"Bloody men who can't even show their face," she grumbled, deeply annoyed with not knowing anything about her situation.

She heard a deep chuckle from behind her, and in the split-second it took her to turn around, she recognized it as the voice she had heard. She expected to see a man standing in front of her, but instead she found a huge lion.

As they stared at each other's eyes, the rational part of her brain was screaming to make a run for it, but the reckless part of her brain told her that it was safe to be here, standing in front of a huge lion that could probably swallow her whole. She usually ignored this part and went with the rational one, but it seemed like today wasn't going to be one of those days.

She thought she saw him- for some reason she knew it was a him- smile and wondered if the stress of Hogwarts and of being friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had finally gotten to her and if she now was nutters. She heard the lion chuckle again and she could have sworn she saw something akin to amusement in his eyes, which seemed to radiate wisdom. For some reason, standing in front of this lion reminded her a lot of Dumbledore.

Then the lion did something which confirmed her previous suspicions about her being nutters.

"Hermione, Daughter of Eve, I welcome you to Narnia."

This was the _last_ time she followed Harry in one of his little adventures.


	2. The Mission

**A/N: Thank you to all who have read and/or reviewed my story. I hope you will all like where this plot goes. I just wanted to clarify a few technicalities.**

**I got the age information of the Pevensies from the Narnia wiki and realized that they were a little too young when they got to Narnia to fit well in my story, so I added two years to each one.**

**I am also aware that because Hermione's birthday is in September, she was sixteen during almost all of her fifth year, but she'll be fifteen in this story so everything can fit into my plan.**

**This is how the ages turned out:**

**Hermione: 15**

**Peter: 15**

**Susan: 14**

**Edmund: 12**

**Lucy: 10**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

"I'm sorry, did you just say Narnia?" Hermione asked with a note of skepticism in her voice. _Where in the bloody hell is _that_ supposed to be?_ Thinking back, asking the talking lion how he could do that and if he planned to eat her seemed to be a more pressing matter.

"That's right, dear one," he answered. "I understand that you must be very confused and I promise I will explain everything.

She knew she should have been running for her life- it was a damn lion for God's sake- but she felt so safe in his presence that she decided to just hear him out. She sat down indian-style and waited for him to continue. He chuckled again and got closer before settling down on the grass in front of her.

"As a bright young lady like you probably already suspects, there are different worlds in the universe. One of them is Narnia, which is where you find yourself at the moment," he started. She tried to contain herself, she really did, but she just couldn't stop her curious side from coming out and interrupting.

"I understand that, sir; there couldn't possibly be only one world. What I don't understand is how I got here," she said.

"You see, Hermione," he continued, "There are different ways to enter another world. In the case of Narnia, the person would usually need to be called. It's magic would then create a portal of sorts. Or the old magic of Narnia would simply bring that person during a moment of their lives when they are easily accessible. This seems to be your case."

"The dark curse," murmured Hermione to herself as the realization hit her.

"You have guessed right, Daughter of Eve," the lion said, confirming her suspicions. She felt dread engulf her, and she gather all her Gryffindor courage to ask the question she was afraid to know the answer of.

"Am... am I dead?" she hesitantly asked.

"No, you are still alive. Barely. You see, the curse you were hit with was incredibly dark. Its purpose was to rip your soul out of your body and destroy it. It seems that the caster might have messed it up some way, and only managed to separate your soul from your body, making it easier for the old magic to bring you here. Essentially, your body is back in your world while your soul is now here."

_He cast the spell nonverbally instead of saying the incantation._ Hermione felt panic try to creep in. Her soul. Her _soul_ had been ripped out of her body. Before she could ask anything, though, Aslan continued.

"You should be able to return to your body when you go back." She looked up at that.

"_If_ I go back, you mean," she said sharply, wincing a little at how disrespectful she sounded, but too worried to really care.

Aslan said nothing and she felt despair starting to consume her. As she looked into his eyes, though, the horrible feeling started to abate. There was still a slight possibility she might go back, which was better than nothing.

"You need to be careful, child," continued Aslan after the slight pause. "The curse didn't manage to completely destroy your soul at once, but the effects of the curse are still on you, damaging you little by little. Unfortunately, the use of magic will only accelerate the process, so I advise you to only use it in moments of emergency."

Hermione felt the urge to cry. She wouldn't even be able to use her magic any more. She pushed all this knowledge to the back of her mind, knowing there was nothing she could do about it and that it would be useless to worry. She would just have to hope that everything would turn out ok. She was grateful for Aslan's presence as she felt a wave of calmness go through her.

Her rational side come to her rescue and distracted her from the distressing news she had just received. She still didn't get why she was there, but she was taking the situation in relatively well, considering the situation. She guessed it had to do with her ability to adapt in perilous situations, like all those times she helped Harry survive.

"Is there a reason why it happened now? I know I've had other weak moments before."

"Narnia calls when she is in need, which is the case right now. This world has been under a witch's control for a hundred years, and the time for ending this has come," he explained.

"So there are other witches in this world."

"Not anymore," he said grimly. "There used to be both good and evil witches in this realm, but they were all close in power, thus keeping the balance. The White Witch, Jadis came from another world. She had an incredibly greedy and poisonous heart; she wanted to have power so much that she found a way into our world, saw its potential, and decided to take control of it.

Her power was much more extensive than the one of the witches here, who only had certain types of magic. She destroyed them all, stored their power away somewhere only she could access. Eventually, her heart turned so cold that it affected her magic. Her magic matches yours in power, but it presents itself mostly in ice. With that power, she put Narnia on a curse which created an endless winter, leading Narnians with terror and turning anyone who tries to defy her into stone."

She looked around at the grass, flowers and the green trees and wondered where this endless winter that he was talking about was. He seemed to guess what she was thinking so he continued.

"I have cleared a small space for you to arrive at, since you would be weak and would need to recover," he explained.

"Does that mean I have been here for long?" she asked anxiously. _If I have been here for a week, let's say, my friends must be really worried._

"No, dear one, you've only been here for a day. You should not worry about those back in your world, time works different in Narnia. By the time you come back, it will be as if no time at all would have passed there," he told her in a soothing voice.

"Oh," she said, relaxing. Then another thought came to her mind. "Why would I have been brought here to help? I mean, there's already another foreign witch who's controlling Narnia and causing its people to live in misery. Isn't it risky to bring yet another witch who might cause even more trouble?"

"You see, the Jadis came to Narnia forcibly and with selfish intentions. On the other hand, you were chosen by the old magic to come here to help free the people from her power. The old magic chooses who to bring based on the person's potential and values. You have a noble heart, dear one, even if you choose not to believe it."

She blushed but decided not to argue. She could have sworn that he was smiling while looking at her fondly. It was slightly unnerving how similar to Dumbledore he acted. That's when she remembered she hadn't asked the most important questions yet.

"What's your name? How do you know so much about this?" she asked, slightly suspicious now. Remembering another important thing, she added, "And how is it that you can talk?"

He chuckled- again- before he replied, "You will find that most animals and other magical creatures can speak here." He gave a short pause, as if organizing his thoughts, and then continued, "My name is Aslan."

She was familiar with the whole concept of names having power; she thought she had experienced it with Voldemort and the You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named thing. She now understood what it was really about. Just from hearing the name Aslan, even not knowing its significance, gave her a feeling of happiness, safety and comfort. It reminded her of the first time she entered Hogwarts.

"I am, in a way, the embodiment of the old magic of Narnia."

She sat there and stared at Aslan. The more she looked into his eyes, the more she believed what he was saying was true. Hermione knew she should probably have a more dramatic reaction to this piece of news, but she found that deep down, she had known it from the beginning.

"I fight for the peace and well-being of Narnia, and I am called back when my people most need me. Especially at the times when something will happen to change the current situation. I never stay for long here; the magic in me won't allow it, but I always keep an eye on my people. Meanwhile, I travel to other worlds in different forms, that's how I know so much about your world too," he finished.

She took a moment to process everything he had said before deciding it was enough chit chat. She wanted to know in what way she could help this new world she had discovered. She had just met Aslan, but she already knew that she would always stay loyal to him, much like her reaction to Harry had been. Besides, she knew she would probably die soon, she couldn't see how her soul might survive all of this. She'd rather go out doing good. If she couldn't help Harry, she'd help others who might need her. She pushed all her worries about herself to the back of her mind and decided to dedicate all her focus on what she would need to do.

"Well then. How may I help Narnia?"

* * *

**Peter's P.O.V.**

They had been following the talking beaver for many hours now. He couldn't believe the situation they were in at the moment. Listening and following a talking beaver in order to save a good faun who had saved her sister's live and is now arrested for having associated with a human and not turning her over an evil witch that had cursed a land in a different world to an endless winter. _I'm afraid to wonder if it can get any weirder because I'm pretty sure it actually can_.

The beaver was talking about someone called Aslan being on the move. He felt a strange and powerful energy go through him just from hearing the name. He guessed that would be someone who would help to dethrone this witch who had claimed she was the queen of Narnia. She would have to ask the beaver when they got to wherever they were going, as he said that it wasn't safe to talk out there.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the beaver's voice.

"We're almost there," he said. Peter looked up and noticed that they were at the top of a small valley. There was a frozen river at the bottom with a small dam in the middle. He turned to see the beaver who had an almost embarrassed look on his face, like when you show another person something that you have created. He was about to say something about how his house looked very nice and comfy, but Susan beat him to it.

"You have a beautiful house, Mr. Beaver," she said, though it seemed more out of politeness than anything else.

"Thank you, but it's not much. I still have to work on it a little more," he answered humbly. "Come on, it's getting dark and we'll be able to talk safely there."

They kept walking for a little while longer. He could feel Lucy almost exploding from excitement next to him; she was gripping his hand almost to the point of cutting off his circulation. He didn't mind, though, he loved yo see her happy. After what happened with Mr. Tumnus he was relieved to see that there was still some of the excitement she always had in her.

"Here we are," Mr. Beaver said. Peter looked at the house and even though it was a dam, it did look pretty cozy. He noticed there was light shining from the inside and wondered who was there.

"It looks like Mrs. Beaver is expecting us," he continued and not a minute later another beaver came out of the small house. He assumed this was a female, though, and he thought it was cute how they seemed to be a married couple. He had never really paid attention to how animal couples acted around each other and this seemed to be a great time to observe.

"Beaver, where have you been? I was worried sick-" she started. She froze mid-sentence when she saw Peter, Susan and Lucy standing behind Mr. Beaver. "Oh, they have finally come. The Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve!" she said with a gob smacked look on her face. "I thought I wouldn't live to see this day," she continued.

Peter was confused- again. Why did everyone seem to make a big deal about them being human? He got the feeling that something was to be expected from them, but he didn't know what it could possibly be. He made a mental note to ask that when Mr. Beaver explained everything.

They went inside and Mrs. Beaver served fish and hot tea. They all ate in silence for a little while until Lucy spoke up, seemingly unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

"Can you tell us what happened to Mr. Tumnus, please?" she asked. Mr. Beaver put down his cup with a grave and sorrowful look on his face. He took a moment to organize his thoughts before he started.

"Mr. Tumnus has indeed been taken by the police," he said, making reference to the note they found at the faun's house. "The White Witch has ordered that anyone who finds a human to turn him or her in. It appears that she found out he helped Lucy and he was taken to her castle"

"What will happen to him there?" asked Lucy in a small voice. He grabbed her hand to try and give her some comfort, and she squeezed his hand in return. Thankfully, she seemed to calm down a little after that.

"I am deeply sorry to say that few who enter the Witch's castle come out alive," he stated grimly. Lucy squeezed his hand tighter. He was at a loss on what to do to make her feel better. She must have been full of guilt, but he didn't believe it was her fault.

"They say that whoever goes into the Witch's castle she turns to stone," continued Mr. Beaver. Lucy gasped and seemed to shrink into herself. Peter pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her. He then asked the question that had been bothering him the most.

"But why is it so wrong to befriend a human? Couldn't we go there and do something? He saved my sister's life, we can't just leave him there," Peter said forcefully.

"No, you can't go there!" replied the beaver as he jumped up from his chair. "She wants you all dead, don't you understand? That would just be making things easier for her. No, you definitely _can't_ go there," he finished, sitting back down and calming a little.

"But we have to do _something_!" exclaimed Lucy in a loud voice.

"Why does the queen want us dead?" added Susan. He really wanted to hear the answer to that one.

"Because of the prophecy, of course," explained Mr. Beaver.

"What prophecy," inquired Susan. He seemed stunned for a moment, as if expecting her to suddenly blurt out that she was joking. Then he got a look of realization on his face and probably remembered they weren't really from this world.

"There is a prophecy that talks about the saviors of Narnia. It goes like this:

_When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,_

_Aided by the one whose equals have shun,_

_Sits at Cair Paravel in throne_

_The evil time will be over and done."_

He paused to let the words sink in before continuing.

"It has been believed that the prophecy refers to two Sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, since there are four thrones at Cair Paravel. That would be you," he said pointing at the Pevensies. "That's why the queen wants you dead, so the prophecy can't be fulfilled."

"You can't expect those to be us!" said Susan in a disbelieving tone. "We're kids, not heroes!" He begrudgingly had to agree with her.

"I'm sorry but you have the wrong humans," Peter said in an apologetic voice. "We just want to help Mr. Tumnus, but it seems we might not be able to even do that." Lucy turned to him with a disappointed look on her face and he had to turn away. He had really wanted to help save her friend, but it was too much.

"You have to be the ones from the prophecy!" pleaded Mrs. Beaver. "He's already preparing an army for you." A light-bulb seemed to come on in his mind.

"Is he the one the prophecy talks about on the second line?" he asked, but as the words came out of his mouth, he got a sense of wrongness that answered his question before Mr. Beaver did.

"We would all like to believe he is, but unfortunately he is not. No one knows who that line refers to, but we're pretty sure that Aslan does and that he has found whoever it is.

You see, Aslan is the true king of the forest, the protector of Narnia. He's the embodiment of the old magic of this world, and he comes to aid his people when they most need him. Word has gotten that he is gathering forces now that all the pieces of the prophecy are coming together." He noticed that they still didn't look convinced so he continued in a slightly desperate manner. "Going to Aslan and asking for his help will probably be Mr. Tumnus' best chance. You _have_ to go meet with him at the Stone Table!"

"Please, Peter, let's go," pleaded Lucy with a desperate look on her face. "We _have_ to help Mr. Tumnus!" It broke his heart to deny her anything, especially something like this, but what was happening was much than them and he had to think of the safety of his family. Mom had sent them away to be safe from the war, not to go and be part of another one.

"I'm sorry Lu, but we can't. It's too dangerous. I have to think of your safety first," he said, not looking at her.

"But what about Mr. Tumnus?!"

"I'm sure that Aslan will be able to save him even if we don't go to meet up with him," said Susan. At that moment, he was very grateful to her because he had no idea what to say to that.

"But... but you can't go!" Mrs. Beaver cried desperately. "You have to come with us to see Aslan!"

"I'm sorry," he said again, "but this is far greater than us. I truly hope that you will win this war and get peace back to your world." He turned to his siblings and said, "Come on, we have to go."

Before anyone could protest, Susan asked the damning question: "Where's Edmund?"

He turned around in circles hoping that he might be hiding in a nook of the small house, but he knew that he wasn't there. "I'm going to kill him," he growled, thinking about how worrisome would be the time until he was found.

"That might not be necessary," said Mr. Beaver in a serious tone. "Has Edmund been in Narnia before?"

There was a pregnant pause before Lucy finally answered.

"Yes," she croaked out. "Why?" she continued hesitantly.

"Was he alone or did one of you go with him?" asked the beaver. Peter realized where he was going with this and felt his stomach drop.

"No, I found him alone when I was coming back from visiting Mr. Tumnus. He didn't tell me where he had been either," said Lucy, again voicing what no one wanted to acknowledge.

"I'm afraid to say that he might have met someone that time," said the beaver. They all looked at each other and seemed to reach the same conclusion.

_The Witch._

* * *

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

"So you want me to look for four humans that are in Narnia, two girls and two boys, and to protect and bring them to you?" Hermione asked, wanting to make sure she had everything straight.

"Yes," answered the lion, seeming to understand the witch's anxiousness. "They are part of the prophecy that talks about the defeat of the White Witch. It is very important that you bring them to my camp safely."

"How will I know where to take them?" Aslan stood up and got closer to her. He blew a warm breath on her face and she instantly felt warmer and calmer, and had this instinct about where to go.

"You'll be able to find your way to them and then back to me. I suspect they probably already have a guide that's on our side; your main job is to accompany them. Come, I have a few more things to tell you before you'll go on your way." Hermione got up and followed Aslan out of the clearing. She could see snow a small distance away and started to feel cold. She pulled out a piece of parchment from her pants' pocket and was about to transfigure it into a coat when she remembered the warning about the use of magic.

Hermione turned to Aslan and found him looking at her. She could only see sympathy in his eyes, which she found comforting for some reason. He then blew on the parchment in her hand, which immediately transformed into a deep red coat. Hermione shot a thankful look at Aslan as she put it on.

"I'm going to have to use magic eventually, aren't I?" she almost whispered, more a statement than a question. "I don't see how I'll be able to protect anyone without it."

They came to a stop and Aslan fully turned to look at her. "I have faith in you Hermione, I know you'll find a way. You don't realize how brave you are, and so kindhearted that you are willing to help others even knowing it might cost you your life. I am grateful to you. Stay strong, and remember that whatever happens, I'll always be with you," he finished. Hermione felt wetness in her cheeks and realized she was crying. Aslan came closer to her and she found herself digging her fingers through his mane, and touching her forehead to his. They stayed that way until her tears stopped and she regained her composture.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I promise to do my best." His only response was a slight nod and they resumed their walk.

"One last thing, dear one. You must not, no matter what, enter Jadis' castle. There is a time for everything and the time for that is not here yet," he told her firmly. "Remember that."

"What if one of the prophecy is there for whatever reason?" she asked.

"We will find another way to rescue him or her, but you mustn't go there. Promise me that you won't." They had stopped and he was now looking at her, waiting to hear her answer. She didn't understand why it was so important for her not to go, but she got the feeling it wasn't the right time for her to know the answer to that. She would have to trust him, and she found that it was something easy for her to do. She would follow his lead anywhere.

"I promise," she said finally, looking him in the eye. He took a moment to scrutinize her, probably wanting to make sure she had meant it. He seemed satisfied and relaxed, and they continued on their walk. They had finally reached the snow, and Hermione felt as if everything was emanating an aura of sadness. _The land is probably sad from being under such a horrible curse for this long_.

"I will take you close to where they are." He crouched down and she climbed on his back. She grabbed onto his mane, making sure she wasn't hurting him. Then he started running.

* * *

They had reached another small clearing in the forest and she got off Aslan. He turned to her before speaking.

"You will find them not far from here," he said. "Just follow your instincts."

"Yes, Aslan," she said solemnly.

"One more piece of advice," he said, "try not to show yourself until it is necessary. They might be wary of you considering you're a witch. Don't hide your magic, though, they will be even more distrustful if they find out about it later on. Tell them I sent you, that might help a little." That was pretty useful.

"Thank you, Aslan. I will keep in mind everything that you have told me," she said. He came closer and she instinctually knew she should kneel, so she did. She closed her eyes and felt as he blew a warm breath on her again, and she got the same feeling she did before.

"Be safe, Daughter of Eve."

When she opened her eyes, he was gone. She got up and, following her instincts, started walking to her left through the forest. She finally came out after having walked for a while, and she found herself in front of a river with a dam in its center. She could see light shining out the windows, and her gut told her that they were inside. It seemed like their guide was probably a beaver.

She sat down and prepared herself to wait all night and then follow them from a distance in the morning. In the end, it seemed like she would not have to way too long, though.

* * *

**Peter's P.O.V.**

"Quick, maybe we can catch him before it's too late," said Mr. Beaver. They hurriedly grabbed their coats and followed Mr. Beaver out of the house. They looked around the small house to see if he was there. When they couldn't spot him anywhere near, Mr. Beaver motioned for them to follow. They started running towards two small hills that could be seen not too far from there. They called out his name as they went up a hill, but they didn't get an answer.

As they ran, Peter cursed himself mentally. _Why did I have to be so _bloody_ hard on him?_ He was sure it was his fault that he had ran off to that witch. If he had felt comfortable and welcome with them he wouldn't have gone looking for somewhere better. It would be his fault if they didn't get to him on time and something happened to his brother. He was only twelve, he was bound to make mistakes and sometimes act like a prat. Peter should have understood him instead of just giving him a hard time for every little thing he did.

They had reached the top of the hill and they could see the castle from there. It was really big and seemed to be made of ice. The towers ended in sharp points, and a shiver ran through him just from looking at it. He looked at the lower part of the castle and could see a small figure entering through a door. His heart dropped and he felt as if his body had turned to lead.

"EDMUND!" he heard Lucy shout.

"Shhhh!" Mr. Beaver frantically silenced her. The lead turned to determination and he stepped forward.

"No!" the beaver exclaimed and pulled on his arm to turn him back around.

"We have to get him back!" Peter said forcibly, trying to get him to understand. Edmund was his brother and he refused to abandon him.

"You can't go! Don't you see? This is what she wants. He's the bait and you'll be walking right into her trap." Peter was about to argue that he couldn't just do nothing, but Mr. Beaver continued. "His only chance now is Aslan, we have to get to him as soon as possible." He turned to look at the others and asked, "Do any of you know how much he heard of what we talked about?"

"The last time I saw him was when you said we had to meet Aslan at some place that had to do with stone, I think," said Susan. Mr. Beaver gulped loudly and turned back to him.

"We have to go now before _she_ gets there or catches us," he said urgently.

Peter got the feeling that the beaver was right and resigned himself to this fact. They would go with the beaver to meet Aslan and ask him for help. They would deal with everything else later.

He was about to accept when he saw a cloaked figure coming from the woods towards them at a rapid pace. He felt his muscles tense and raised his voice, "Who's there?"

* * *

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

The door to the small house opened and a small figure came out followed by three other longer figures. It was too dark and far to see, and she realized she would have to use magic. _So much for trying_**.**

_"Oculus propius," _she murmured, pointing her wand at herself.

She saw that the smaller figure was a beaver, confirming her earlier suspicions. The other three were humans. There were two girls, one taller than the other. The smaller one had straight hair that reached the top of her shoulders while the taller one had slightly wavier and darker hair that almost reached the middle of her back. The little girl was dressed in an old-fashion-looking dress and was covered with a thick coat that pooled down to her feet. The other girl was wearing a long skirt that went a little past her knees over a light button-up blouse. She too was wrapped up in a long and thick coat.

She looked at the last figure, which was also the tallest, and she found herself looking at a guy. He had light, messy hair that was long enough to fall into his eyes and he was wearing a light button-up shirt under dark, old-fashioned pants. He was wearing a long and thick coat just like the others. She knew they were from the same world as hers, but they were probably muggles. He looked to be somewhere around her age and she assumed they were all teenagers. She was pretty sure they weren't from the same era as her, maybe the 40's or 50's. It seemed like the old magic really liked to mess with time.

She then noticed something really important. _Where's the fourth one?_ They seemed to be looking for something and then the beaver made a motion to them and they started to run. She looked in the direction they were going and saw two hills next to each other only separated by a small valley. She felt a shiver run down her spine and knew that the Witch's castle was there. _Great, I've only gotten here a couple of minutes ago and they are already putting themselves in danger._

She cancelled the spell and started running after them until they reached the top of the hill. She hid behind some trees and could see the castle from a distance and was able to distinguish a small figure entering through a door. She felt panic starting to bubble up as she noticed how similar to a human figure it was. _Dear Merlin, _please_ don't let that be the fourth human._

Her fear was confirmed by the little girl, who seemed to be around eleven now that she could see her closer.

"EDMUND!"

_What is she doing?! _They were going to give themselves away if they kept up like that. She suspected the queen would soon send someone to the little house in the dam for them. If that kid, Edmund, had gone to the castle on his own, he must have met the witch at some point and decided to believe whatever she said for some reason. She remembered what Aslan had told her and knew that she would simply have to get the other three to the camp as soon as possible so Edmund could be saved before it was too late.

She noticed that the boy made as if to follow his brother, but thankfully the beaver stopped him. At least someone knew what they were doing. They started talking and she grew more anxious by the second. They had to get away before something happened. She realized that it depended on her to make it happen and sighed. She prepared herself to ignore the second piece of advice given to her and started to hurriedly make her way over.

_Why is it that I always end up associating with people who have the bad habit of recklessly putting themselves in danger?_

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**The prophesy is from the book, but I added the second line. I wanted to apologize if the beginning was a little boring, but it was necessary. The spell Hermione used was "closer eye" translated into Latin by google translate. I'll try to use actual Harry Potter spells whenever I can.**


	3. First Encounter

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that has read my story and favorited/reviewed it. I'm having lots of fun writing this story. Believe me, I'm just as excited to post a new chapter as you are to read it. I've forgotten to do this before so I'll do it now:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter or Narnia related. Those are courtesy of the amazing J. K. Rowling and C. S. Lewis respectively. I only own the slight tweaking of the plot. This disclaimer will apply to ALL chapters of this story.**

**Now that that is out of the way, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: First Encounter**

**Peter's P.O.V.**

The figure came out of the woods and he could make out it was a girl. She had long curly hair that seemed slightly bushy. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and... pants? She also had a dark colored cloak draped around her shoulders. There wasn't enough light to be sure, but he thought her eyes were brown.

It took him a moment to drag his attention away from her features and to her actual face expression. She looked angry and frustrated with a tinge of disbelief aimed at their group, and had come to a stop in front of them.

"What are you _doing_?!" she bit out in a hiss and he noticed she had a British accent just like them. "Are you _insane_?! There's a witch out to kill you, and you stand there in front of her castle just _waiting_ for her to catch you!"

"And who are _you_?" asked Susan, apparently having recovered from the shock of this stranger coming out of nowhere faster than the others.

"My name's Hermione and I was sent to protect you, which you're not making very easy at the moment," she answered looking flustered. She moved around us until she stood with her back to the castle and started motioning with her arms for us to move back. "You have to get back before it's too late. I'm sure she's probably about to send someone out to get you."

This last comment snapped him out of his stupor and he grew suspicious. This strange girl came out of nowhere and started ordering them around, supposedly trying to protect them. Who did she think she was?

"How do you know that?" he asked. She barely spared him a glance and continued trying to make them move back while she answered.

"Logic," she said simply. She turned to Mr. Beaver who still had his mouth hanging open from seeing another human. "Beaver, you know how important it is that they get to Aslan safely. They'll listen to you, so please _do _something."

He seemed to snap out of it after that and he too started ushering them back to the dam. "Quick, quick! We have to leave as soon as possible," he said urgently. Peter still wasn't satisfied with this, and apparently neither was Susan.

"How do we know we can trust you?" she asked the girl-Hermione. She opened her mouth to answer when Lucy interrupted.

"We can trust her," she stated. Both Peter and Susan turned to her with disbelieving looks on their faces, but she didn't waver. "I just _know_ we can trust her, I've got this feeling that she's telling the truth and is really here to protect us."

He still wasn't convinced and neither was his sister, which Hermione seemed to realize because she turned to address them.

"Listen, I get where you're coming from, I really do, but this is not the time to have this discussion. I promise I'll explain everything but right now we have to hurry. Just know that I was sent by Aslan to protect you until you got to where he is," she said desperately. He thought that was enough for now, so he grabbed Lucy's hand and started following Hermione and Mr. Beaver.

They ran in silence all the way back to the dam. Mrs. Beaver looked very surprised to see that they came back with another human girl, but seemed to sense it wasn't the right time to ask.

They all entered the house, but he never took his eye from the strange girl. He still didn't trust her, although she hadn't done anything truly suspicious yet.

"We have to leave for where Aslan is now," said Mr. Beaver hurriedly. Mrs. Beaver simply nodded her head and started grabbing food from all over the place, packing it up. Mr. Beaver looked at her incredulously before asking, "What are you doing?! We have to go!"

She just kept on packing before saying offhandedly, "You'll thank me later."

At that moment, they heard a howl that sounded awfully close. They all froze in fear and Peter remembered the paw in the place of a signature in the parchment they found in Mr. Tumnus' house. "They're here," said the beaver, breaking the silence.

Panic tried to engulf them all and he grabbed onto Lucy's hand to give her comfort as well as him. Hermione stepped forward and addressed Mr. Beaver all business-like. "Is there another exist?"

He nodded before going to a small door and opening it. There was a pulley with a bucket hooked on one end. It went down a hole on the ground and Peter realized that it was the entrance to a tunnel. He felt a moment of relief before the fear set back in once they heard the wolves scratching at the outside of the house.

They all looked at each other before starting to climb down. Both beavers went first, then Susan and Lucy and he was left with Hermione. He turned to her and pointed at the hole in the ground. "You first, I want to keep an eye on you."

Her expression turned defiant and she looked as if she were about to argue, but then decided better of it and jumped down. He closed the small door and jumped right after her. They quickly caught up to the others and started running all together as fast as they could.

Lucy tripped on a root and almost fell, but Hermione caught her and helped her up. Peter felt his protectiveness come back with a vengeance and pulled Lucy to him and away from Hermione. They glared at each other until they heard the wolves' howls bounce off the walls of the tunnel. They froze for a moment, and Lucy whispered what they were all thinking.

"They're in the tunnel."

The frantic run started up again until they finally reached the end of the tunnel. There was another hole above them and they had to climb out one by one in the same order they had come in. When Peter got out, he immediately turned around and grabbed a small barrel and, with the help of Mr. Beaver, pushed it against the entrance of the tunnel. He knew it wouldn't hold off for long, but there wasn't anything else he could do. He turned around and stopped dead on his tracks.

Hermione had pulled out a stick and was pointing it a mount of dirt. Now this would have been weird but acceptable. What was wrong with this picture was that the dirt was _floating midair_.

* * *

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

They had exited the tunnel and the boy and beaver had pushed a barrel on top of its entrance. It was obvious it wouldn't hold off the wolves for long. She hadn't wanted to use magic so soon, especially in front of them, but she knew it was their best chance at escaping.

She took out her wand and saw a pile of dirt close by. She murmured, "_Wingardium leviosa_," and levitated the dirt over to the barrel and let it drop on top of it. _I just made my time of death much closer_. She ignored the thought and focused on the present. She turned to look at the others apprehensively, afraid of what their reactions would be. They all looked too stunned to say anything, but the boy recovered quickly.

"You're a _witch_," he spat out, as if the mere word left a foul taste in his mouth. She tried not to take it personally as she could understand where the distrust stemmed from, but she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pain in her chest. She had been dismissed as disgusting and low for a long time now, and she didn't appreciate being reminded of the feeling.

"Yes, but I'm on your side," she said, at a loss on how to make them trust her. "I really am here to help you get to Aslan safely, you _have _to believe me. Besides, don't you think that if I wanted to hurt you I already would have?" The boy looked around at the others who still seemed too shocked to do anything. She noticed with a heavy heart that both the older girl and the she-beaver were looking at her with fear. The little girl, though, only looked at her with curiosity, which gave Hermione a sliver of hope that not all was lost.

There was a moment of silence in which Hermione avoided looking anyone in the eye. Suddenly, Lucy gasped and they turned to look at her. She was staring at a cluster of small animal statues, and as she turned to look around the small clearing they were in, she could see more statues of different types of animals. It hit her then that they were real animals that the witch had turned to stone. She was filled with sadness at the thought of all the lives lost this way.

She heard Mrs. Beaver consoling her husband and Hermione saw him looking at the statue of a badger. She guessed they had been friends and felt sympathy run through her. The boy turned to her with an accusing stare, and she knew he thought her responsible for this. Now _that _was too much. She wouldn't allow anyone to accuse her of doing such a horrible thing. She was about to defend herself when a voice sounded from the woods.

"This is what becomes of those who cross paths with the witch." They all turned to where the voice had come from and saw a fox emerge from behind some bushes and approach them. Mr. Beaver started advancing on him with a murderous look on his face.

"What are you doing here, you traitor?" Mrs. Beaver grabbed him before he could lunge at the fox, who was looking slightly amused at the moment.

"Hey, relax, I'm one of the good guys," he jovially replied.

"Well, you sure as hell don't look it," Mr. Beaver retorted. The fox looked down sheepishly for a moment before looking up again.

"An unfortunate family resemblance, I'm afraid," he answered, referring to the similarities between him and his distant cousins, the wolves. He then turned to look at her with something akin to wonder on his face. "So it _is_true, then," he continued. "Aslan really did send a witch to help protect the humans of the prophecy."

They were all stunned for a moment, and the group turned to look at her. She was happy to see that the distrust had disappeared from both beavers' faces, and had also diminished on the older girl's face too. The boy, on the other hand, still looked at her just like he did from the very beginning. They didn't have time to question the fox's words, however, as they were reminded that their lives were still in danger by a howl that could be barely distinguished coming from the blocked entrance of the tunnel.

The fox's jovial expression turned to one of panic in the blink of an eye. He turned to look at the group.

"Quick, they'll be here any second. We have to move."

They all looked at each other, and seemed to reach the same decision. The boy- she was tired of thinking of him like that; she would have to ask for their names soon- turned back to the fox with a determined look on his face. "What did you have in mind?"

The fox gave them what, to Hermione, seemed like a grin, but she couldn't be sure as she had never seen an animal attempt that before. He turned to look at a tall tree with low branches that seemed easy to use to reach the higher ones, telling them what he wanted without voicing his thoughts. They jumped into action and started climbing the tree. She made as if to sit with Lucy on one branch, but the boy grabbed her arm and tugged. She turned to look at him with an affronted look on her face.

"Oh, no, you're staying close to me," he sneered, still tugging at her until she was sitting on a branch with him. "I'm not willing to risk you giving us away." That said, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, a little more brusquely than she deemed necessary. She gave an outraged squeak and he covered her mouth with his free hand. She growled low in her throat, but he simply shushed her.

At that moment, the barrel with the pile of dirt on top started moving, and she realized the wolves were trying to get out. The fox had stayed on the ground, and she was satisfied to notice that the added weight of the dirt gave him the extra precious seconds he needed to erase all their footprints.

The barrier finally gave way and seven wolves left the tunnel. They immediately surrounded the fox. She had to give him points as he somewhat managed to keep his cool.

"Greetings, gentleman," he said merrily. "Have you lost something?" One wolf growled; he seemed to be the leader. Hermione felt afraid for the fox that was putting his life in danger for them. This reminded her of when Harry would complain about people risking their lives for him, and she could now understand how he felt.

"Don't patronize me," growled the chief, "I know where your allegiances lie."

_He sure doesn't mess around._

"Where are the humans?" he demanded, clearly ready to get to the point. The fox let out a chuckle before answering in a tone that left clear how ridiculous he thought that was.

"Humans? In Narnia? That seems like quite some precious information, don't it?" A wolf jumped on him in an instance, grabbing onto his back with a bite and lifting him up. He let out a yelp and Hermione felt her breath hitch. She wanted to jump down and blast those wolves to hell, but she knew it would only make matters worse, especially if one escaped and the White Witch got word of her.

"Don't play with me," continued Chief with the interrogation. "Your reward is your life. It's not much but I'm sure it is enticement enough for you." Hermione felt a surge of anger at the wolf's taunting, and she had to fight to swallow her growl.

The fox hesitated for a moment, and then said in a defeated voice, "North. They went north."

"Sniff them out," ordered Chief, looking at the other wolves. They all started running north, the wolf that had held the fox simply chucking him before following the others. As soon as they were out of hearing range, Hermione pushed the boy's hands away- which had slackened during the encounter- and started frantically climbing down the tree.

"Hey! Stop!" she heard him call out from above her, but she just ignored him. She jumped when she was still a couple meters from the ground and started running towards the fox. She knelt down next to him and saw that he had a bloody bite mark, but it didn't seem too bad. At that moment, she didn't care if it got her closer to her death, she couldn't bear to see anyone in pain if she could help it. She pulled out her wand and was about to cast a healing spell when a shout stopped her.

"What are you doing?! Get away from him!" screeched the oldest girl. Hermione let out a frustrated huff.

"I'm trying to help him, okay!" she bit out angrily. The girl opened her mouth to say more, but Mrs. Beaver jumped in.

"Give her a chance," she said. Both older kids didn't look too happy about that, but they didn't protest any more. She glanced at the female beaver gratefully before looking down at the fox again. She noticed that he was awake, but barely so.

"_Episkey_," she murmured softly, with her wand aimed at him. The wound started to close and she could feel him relaxing. She heard gasps from behind her but didn't turn around. She pointed her wand at him again. "_Tergeo._" The blood vanished from around the wound, and she could see that the fox's skin looked as if nothing had happened.

She noticed that he was looking at her, so she turned to him. "Thank you," he said softly, and her heart almost burst from the raw feeling she heard in his voice.

She smiled at him and turned to look at the others. They all had various emotions flashing across their faces, but she was glad to see that distrust was not one of them. Except, of course, for the boy. At that moment she decided to give up on trying to convince him that she was good, as he seemed far too thick-headed to persuade otherwise.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain hit her in the chest and she crumpled forward. It was agonizing, and she couldn't speak or breathe through it. _The curse_. This was a painful reminder of what awaited in her probably near future.

She felt a small hand on her shoulder. She lifted her face and found herself staring right into the youngest girl's eyes, which seemed to be full of concern.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" she asked hesitantly, trying out her name. She tried to answer to sooth the girl's worries, but the pain was still too great to speak. After a couple of seconds passed, Hermione felt the pain subside and she gulped air in greedily, as she hadn't been able to breathe before.

"Hermione?" asked Lucy, and she turned to look at the little girl again, noticing that she was surrounded by the other girl and the she-beaver too. She nodded her head while she gathered her voice.

"I'm fine, thank you. It was nothing," she said, unwilling to explain what had caused her little episode.

"That certainly was _not_ nothing, dear," chastised the female beaver gently.

"Really, I'm ok. It's nothing to worry about." She didn't want them to know. It would only cause them to worry, and she didn't need that. Her priority was to get them all safe to Aslan, she couldn't afford any distractions that might slow them down.

"We should stay here for the night. I'll go get some firewood," she heard the boy say in a grim voice. They all nodded and he left. Hermione knew that after he came back there would be lots of explaining to do. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Peter's P.O.V.**

He couldn't believe his eyes as the fox's wounds closed in front of all of them. Then the blood around it disappeared and he looked as good as new. This action seemed to gain the trust of everyone for Hermione, but he just couldn't help but still be suspicious.

It was true, she had only helped them until now, but people could always betray you. His brother had been a clear example of that. Although he still partially blamed himself for what happened, he was aware that it had to have been Edmund the one that gave away their location, and that's why the pack of wolves had known where to search for them. Peter had always had a hard time trusting people because he felt that if he judged people's intentions wrong and something happened to his siblings because of it, it would be his fault. Edmund's betrayal had only made it worse, and the fact that the girl was a witch certainly didn't help matters.

Hermione suddenly let out a gasp and doubled over in what looked like pain. Lucy ran to her, followed closely by Susan and Mrs. Beaver. Even Mr. Beaver and the fox looked at her distressed. He felt a little worried about the girl himself as she didn't answer Lucy's inquiries on her state, but he pushed the feeling away. For all he knew, she could be acting as part of an elaborate plan to gain their trust and then guide them right into the evil witch's lair.

After a couple of seconds, the girl seemed to recover enough to say she was fine, and he felt himself harden again. He realized they would have to spend the night there, as it probably was too dangerous to continue on their trip in the dark.

"We should stay here for the night. I'll go get some firewood," he said, and then walked towards the tree-line to search. He would ask Hermione to explain everything once he got back.

The fire had been started and they all sat around it. The fox was telling them about his mission and they all found themselves riveted by his story.

"I had been going to see Mr. Tumnus and ask him to join Aslan's troops, but unfortunately the witch got to him first," he said. They all grew slightly somber at the mention of the faun, except from one person they didn't notice at the moment.

"Anyway, I should go. Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops for him," continued the fox proudly.

Mrs. Beaver gasped and looked at the fox in awe. "You have seen him?" At the fox's nod she continued, "What's he like?"

"He is everything that we have dreamed of," he answered, admiration coating his words. "I'm sure Hermione here could tell you more about him," he said, turning to look at her. She seemed embarrassed at being in the spotlight and looked away.

"Anyway, he'll be glad to have you on his side in the battle against the Witch," he continued before the silence could get awkward, now looking at him and his sisters. He grew uneasy and exchanged glances with them.

"We're not planning on fighting in any battle," said Susan, voicing what all the Pevensies were thinking.

"But surely at least King Peter," he said, alarmed. "The Prophecy!" he reminded them, hoping that it might change their minds.

Peter hesitated before answering. "We just want our brother back."

"I really hope you will change your decision," the fox said dejectedly. "It was a pleasure to meet you my dear queens and king, but I must go now," he added, bowing to them. He then turned to look at Hermione. "Thank you for your kindness." She simply nodded, and with that, he turned and ran into the woods.

A heavy silence descended on the group. No one seemed sure on where to start since there were too many things to discuss.

"Who's Mr. Tumnus?" asked Hermione hesitantly, finally breaking the silence.

"He was a friend of mine that was taken to the Witch for associating with a human and not turning her in," said Lucy sadly.

"Oh," answered the girl, looking genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry to hear that, um..." she finished, and he suddenly remembered that they hadn't introduced themselves to her.

"Lucy," answered my sister kindly, apparently having accepted the girl's condolence.

"I'm Susan," added his other sister. He didn't plan on offering his name, but apparently his sister had other ideas about that. "The grumpy one is Peter," she said, looking quite mischievous. He glared at her while everyone chuckled, as he was fully aware that she knew what his thoughts had been. Apparently, so did Hermione, because she smirked at him but decided not to comment on it. She turned back to Lucy, her face going gentle.

"Anyway, I really am sorry about your friend Mr. Tumnus." Lucy nodded and Mr. Beaver sighed.

"Yeah, he was a good faun, didn't deserve what happened to him," he said forlornly. Hermione's eyes grew wide as saucers.

"Faun?!" she repeated in astonishment. They all looked at her, perplexed.

"Yeah, faun. Shouldn't you know what a faun is seeing as you live in Narnia?" Peter asked her bitingly. She gave him a slight glare at his tone, but simply ignored it and continued speaking.

"Oh, I don't live in Narnia. I actually came here today. I come from the same world as you, or at least one parallel to it. It's still the same old London," she explained.

Now it was _their_ turn to be astonished. She came from London?! How did she get here?

"A witch from London?!" exclaimed Susan. Hermione nodded and then proceeded to tell them about the community of wizards that apparently existed, blending in without the non-magical people's notice. She told them about her school, Hogwarts, and her friends. She also told them about the threat that was growing stronger and how she ended up in Narnia. She then recounted her moment with Aslan, and everyone eagerly took in her story. Peter found himself just as immersed in the story as the others, though he could tell she left some things out. He snapped out of it when she explained how the White Witch had actually come from their world and how she was the same type of witch as Hermione was. This made his suspicions stronger, even after she explained how the witch had come to Narnia by force, unlike Hermione who had been called upon.

Lucy, in turn, explained how they had come in through a wardrobe and what had happened before they arrived at the beaver's house. A far less interesting story than hers, though she seemed just as absorbed in their story as they had been in hers.

"Is it common for witches in your world to wear pants?" asked Susan after Lucy had finished telling their story. Hermione let out a tinkling laugh, for some reason finding this amusing.

"Oh, I had forgotten about that," she started. "What year is it back in our world?

They were confused by this question, but Susan answered nonetheless. "It's 1940."

Hermione hummed under her breath and murmured, "I knew it," seemingly to herself. Then she continued in a louder voice, "You see, apparently the old magic likes to mess with time because it was 1996 when I left. That's why I dress like this; it has been accepted by society."

They were all stunned-again. This girl was not only a witch, but she came from the future.

"Did we win the war?" asked Susan tentatively.

Hermione smiled reassuringly before saying, "Yes, we did. It ended in 1945." The Pevensies sighed with relief, even though they now knew they would have to endure it for five more years.

"Can you show us some of your magic, please?" asked Lucy timidly. Peter tensed while Hermione smiled, but she seemed troubled.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could but I shouldn't be using too much of my magic," she tried to explain. He could feel some of the anger he had from what Edmund had done and couldn't suppress it. He needed to get rid of it.

He snorted and her head whipped in his direction, confused and indignant.

"What, is it too tiring to use your magic to actually do some good?" he sneered. He knew he wasn't being fair, but he just felt so _angry_.

"Peter!" Susan gasped, embarrassed by his rudeness.

"Excuse me?!" Hermione cried out in outrage. He smiled sardonically.

"You heard me. Have you reached the maximum of good you could do with your magic by healing the fox earlier?" She seemed hurt by this but didn't answer.

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Lucy. He ignored her; he wasn't done letting go of his anger. He could see both beavers looking uncertainly between Hermione and him, at a loss on how to stop the fight. Susan and Lucy had disbelieving looks on their faces.

"In my opinion," he continued, knowing that what he was about to say would probably sentence him to an awful fate, but he couldn't help himself, "Aslan is an idiot for trusting a disgusting creature like you."

_SMACK!_

The tense silence that had fallen after that remark was broken by the sound of Hermione's hand connecting with the side of Peter's face. His eyes wide, he lifted a hand to touch his stinging cheek and turned to look at Hermione. Her expression was murderous; he had never seen so much fury directed at him. Scratch that, he had never seen so much fury directed at anyone.

Behind that fury, he could see the hurt he had caused, and he was immediately wracked with guilt. He knew nothing of what he had said was true, but he had felt so much anger that he didn't care. He just needed to let it out and direct it at someone, hopefully hurting them as much as Edmund had hurt him. Hermione was the unfortunate victim of it as she was the easiest to attack.

He immediately wanted to apologize but didn't know how. He knew what he had said was too serious to be forgiven with a simple 'I'm sorry'. No matter how much he didn't trust Hermione, she hadn't deserved to be treated that way. Before he could do anything, though, she spoke.

"You can doubt me, think of me as bloody scum under your shoes, insult me all you want, but I _won't_ allow you to speak about Aslan in that way. He is one of the noblest people I have ever met and you will _not_ insult him in my presence." She paused and backed away a little. He couldn't help but admire how out of everything he had said, her first instinct had been to defend the people she was loyal to.

"You don't trust me? Fine. Here," she continued forcibly, throwing her wand at him with all her might. He barely managed to catch it and looked at it in surprise, and then back at her. "You keep it, maybe that way you won't be afraid of me killing you in your sleep," she bit out spitefully.

Too stunned to do or say anything, he didn't stop her as she marched to the tree line and lied down on a patch of grass with her back to them, clearly dismissing everyone for the night.

Lucy turned to him with a shocked look on her face. _"How could you?!"_ she hissed, and he felt a pang in his chest at having disappointed her. She turned and walked away to lie down with her back to him, too. Susan gave him a disappointed look before following after her and stretching out next to her. He heard the beavers sigh and also lie down.

He stood there for a moment, wondering how he could have made things so wrong. He turned and walked away from the fire, lying down with his back facing them all. He unsuccessfully tried to push the guilt away to try and fall asleep, dreading when morning would come and he would have to face everyone again.

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**A/N: Seems like things aren't going too well right now, huh? Don't worry, it won't stay that way.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll start working on the next one really soon as I already have the outline for the whole story. Until next time!**


	4. Hope comes with Christmas

**A/N: To all of those who haven't read the big A/N or couldn't read it, I recommend you go back and read the first two chapters of this story, since I changed some of the things to fit with the tweaks I made to the whole plot during this almost one year long hiatus. If you don't want to read them completely, I suggest to at least read all the Aslan-Hermione parts in Chapter 1 because those are important, and in Chapter 2 the Hermione P.O.V.'s after having gotten out of the tunnel. The changes in Chapter 2 aren't as crucial, but this is all the changes I made in case you want to know about them.**

**With that said, let's get on with the story since you have waited long enough for it already. Hope you'll enjoy it.**

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**Chapter 3: Hope comes with Christmas**

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

She barely slept that night. Peter's words kept repeating over and over in her head, and her brain refused to shut down. As much as she'd like to pretend he didn't affect her, it had hurt. It wasn't his words alone, though; it was how they related to the rest of her life.

In muggle school, it had been her brains. At Hogwarts it was her blood, but at least she had a lot of talent to make up for it. In Narnia, it was that talent she was so proud of that doomed her. It seemed like no matter where she went, she was always signaled out as undeserving. She felt like she didn't belong anywhere.

_A disgusting creature like you._

She tried to stop feeling sorry for herself, but when she attempted to think of anything else, she felt her blood boil at Peter's insult to Aslan. How _dare_ he say anything bad about him; he hadn't even met him! She decided that train of thought wasn't going to help her sleep either. She didn't allow the thought of the curse and how much it might have advanced with the little amount of magic she had used to plague her mind. This would only make her feel even worse. She did her best to push all these thoughts to the back of her mind, but it still took her a while to calm down enough to rest.

When she finally did manage to fall asleep, her dreams were filled with Death Eaters and a bunch of doors everywhere she looked. When she chose one door and went through it, she came into a room made of ice. She found herself surrounded by stone statues of many different creatures; men, animals and some in-between. She heard their tortured screams, their cries for help. Overwhelmed, she curled up into herself and covered her ears to try and muffle the sounds.

She woke up with a start. Light was beginning to shine through the trees. She sat up and turned to look at where the fire had been, clinging to her cloak to try and get some warmth. Everyone else was still sleeping. The beavers had lied down close to each other near the fire; Lucy and Susan were sleeping side by side a little ways from her. She noticed a figure lying down with his back to them all the way at the other side of the clearing. Ah, so there he was. It seemed like everyone else had turned their backs on him. _Served him right._

As the sun started to rise through the trees, she decided they should start their journey soon. She got up and went to the beavers first, shaking Mr. Beaver gently. He swiped his paw at her and grumbled something about not wanting to take a bath. Hermione chuckled and shook him slightly harder.

"Mr. Beaver, wake up. We have to go soon," she murmured softly. He finally opened his eyes and looked around a little disoriented. She could tell when all the memories from the day before reached his brain as his eyes widened a little. He looked at her with sympathy and a little awe. It made her slightly uncomfortable, so she continued speaking.

"Help me wake up the others, we should eat and leave as soon as possible," she told him and then got up without waiting for an answer.

She made her way over to the two sleeping girls and crouched down in front of Lucy. She was snoring softly and had an adorable look on her face. Despite everything, she couldn't help smiling a little at the sight. She started shaking her softly and murmuring her name. Thankfully, Lucy woke up easily enough and, upon seeing Hermione, a huge smile spread on her face. She didn't say anything though, and Hermione was grateful for that.

After waking up Susan, Hermione got up and motioned for the girls to follow her back to the fire and sat down.

"We need to eat breakfast and leave shortly after that." She saw Mrs. Beaver cutting the bread and cheese she had brought while Mr. Beaver looked over her shoulder with an eager expression on his face that reminded her a lot of Ron.

Peter was sitting not too far from them, looking uncomfortable. She noticed he avoided looking her in the eye and couldn't help feeling satisfied. It was good that he felt bad about what he had done. She wondered if she'd be able to forgive him if he apologized, and decided that she would. She could understand where he came from, although that didn't make what he said any better. She wasn't about to let him know that though, so she shot an icy glare in his direction before turning back to the others.

"Eat quickly, we have to get to Aslan's camp before nightfall," she said in an all-business manner. They nodded their heads and started eating the food Mrs. Beaver had spread out between them in silence. It was awkward, but she tried to ignore it as best as she could, making sure to eat fast.

"Do you really think Aslan will be able to save Edmund?" asked Lucy hesitantly.

Hermione turned to look at the young girl. She looked lost and desperate for someone to give her a sliver of hope for her brother's well-being. Her mind registered that all the others had stopped eating and were also staring at her but she didn't take her eyes off of Lucy's face. She didn't want to give the young girl any false hope, so she took a moment to really think it over.

It was true that the Witch wanted all of them dead, and Edmund was probably in great danger, but she didn't think the Witch would kill him yet. Using him as bait had a lot of potential, just as his siblings had proved by almost barging right into her castle and consequently her clutches. Hermione didn't see how Aslan would be able to save him, though, but after having met him she had faith in him. Her gut told her that she could trust Aslan to be able to get him back some way. It didn't escape her how she had trusted her feelings more than her rational thinking since she had gotten here, but chalked it up to the magic of the place.

"Yes, I believe he can," she answered finally, and saw how the relief swept over the young girl's face. "I have faith in him, and you should too."

"Thank you," said Lucy softly, a wide grin across her face. Hermione gave her a small but sincere smile before turning back to her food like all the others. Hermione could feel Peter's eyes on her, but pretended not to notice.

When they had all finished eating, she got up and sighed. They had a long journey ahead of them. She turned to look at Mr. Beaver and gave him a smile before speaking.

"Well, we better get going. I'm hoping to arrive to Aslan's camp before nightfall." Everyone got up after that and started gathering their things. When they were all ready, Hermione looked at Mr. Beaver and gestured for him to lead the way. He gave her a big grin and clapped his paws together.

"Follow me and don't lag behind. If you keep up the pace we'll get there soon enough," and with that Mr. Beaver marched on with his head held high, his wife right by his side with a humorous and indulging smile on her face.

* * *

Hermione made sure that all the Pevensies were walking in front of her before advancing herself, ignoring the slightly hesitant look one of them shot at her.

As they walked, she got lost in her thoughts, barely hearing Lucy and Susan talking in front of her. She wondered about how things were going back home with her gone, if everyone had gotten out of the Department of Mysteries alive and well. Hermione prayed to Merlin that Harry and Ron were OK, and wondered if she would ever be able to find out.

Looking at the Pevensies again, Hermione wasn't sure if she would be able to keep them safe. In reality, she didn't know that much of what was really going on in that strange place. Then again, the siblings were probably just as clueless as her.

Deep in her thoughts, Hermione almost didn't notice when one of the siblings fell into step beside her.

"So," started Lucy hesitantly, "you went to a school of magic, right?"

Hermione stared down at the young girl, unsure of where she was going with this. After what had happened the night before, she felt rather hesitant to speak about anything related to magic. For some reason, though, Hermione didn't think Lucy would judge her as harshly as her brother had, so she answered with a slightly cautious yes.

Hermione could almost literally see the wonder shining through the young girl's eyes, thus she didn't feel surprised at all when Lucy asked her next question.

"What was it like?"

Hermione was unable to resist the curiosity displayed by Lucy, so she proceeded to tell her all about Hogwarts. She talked about her classes and professors, she talked about how professor Mcgonagall was her favorite. She describe the beautiful castle with it's moving stairs and talking portraits. She described the magnificence of the Great Hall and explained how the students were divided in different houses.

She talked about her best friends. How Harry was one the kindest and bravest people she had ever met, with his talent for attracting trouble anywhere he went. She talked about Ron and his hilarious food obsessions, his easygoing way of being and goofy acts. Hermione felt a pang of longing for her friends, and wondered yet again if she would ever see them again. _Probably not_, she thought.

It wasn't until then that she noticed how everyone had quieted down and seemed to be just as enraptured in her story as the youngest of the siblings was. Hermione was glad she had decided to leave out any of the parts that had to do with Voldemort. She didn't want them to have any other reasons to distrust magic.

"What was it like," started Susan, "to grow up with magic?"

"I didn't," Hermione began, and then explained how she hadn't known she was a witch until she received her Hogwarts letter when she turned eleven. They all seemed very surprised by this. Before any of them could ask any other questions, Mr. Beaver spoke up.

"Do you hear that?" he asked with a sense of urgency. We all fell quiet for a moment, and she felt dread settle in her stomach. Hermione could hear the sound of tinkling bells in the distance, accompanied by the sound of a sled being pulled across the snow.

She didn't truly understand what was going on until Mr. Beaver talked again.

"It's the Witch. Run!"

Hermione tried to think of a way to get out of this situation while she ran, but she could only think about using magic. She knew it wouldn't be good for her, but she would risk it in order to save the others. As she dug through her pockets in her coat she let out a curse, suddenly remembering that Peter still had her wand. She prayed they would be able to find some other way to get out of this.

They reached the edges of the woods and kept running until Mr. Beaver spotted a cave that was fairly hidden from sight. They all went it and tried to keep quiet.

Hermione felt a hand grab her shoulder and whipped around, expecting to see a stranger ready to attack her. Instead, she found Peter holding out her wand to her.

"I hope I won't regret this," he said. Stunned, Hermione hesitantly reached out and grabbed her wand. As she looked into his eyes, she hoped that he'd be able to read what she wanted to say in her own. _You won't_.

Suddenly, they heard the sled get closer and finally stop. The unmistakable sound of steps soon followed. Rationally, Hermione knew that whoever was out there wasn't able to see the cave, but she was still scared that they'd be found out.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. Beaver slowly make his way to the mouth of the cave. Hermione reached out to try and stop him, but he turned to her. "You need to stay here to protect them, I'll go look," he said, a note of finality in his voice. Hermione knew that was the logical thing to do, but she still felt uneasy as she watched the beaver make his way out of the cave.

Tense seconds soon followed, which felt like hours to her. Suddenly, Mr. Beaver appeared in the entrance of the cave again, looking very excited.

"There's nothing to worry about. Come out, someone's waiting for you!" he said before disappearing from their view again. Slowly, everyone started to move towards the entrance of the cave. Hermione managed to leave first, being totally caught by surprise by what she found once she was out.

It was surreal. A big brown sled with red decorations was parked- if that even is the correct term- out in the snow between the trees. It had a huge brown bag in the back, which Hermione felt apprehensive of its contents. There were eight reindeer attach to the sled by reigns. To finish the picture, there was an old man standing in front of the sled with his hands on his waist. He had a white beard that reached his chest and a face that looked like it was permanently fixed on a happy expression. He was wearing an orange shirt with a golden sash tied around the waist and black pants with brown boots. He had a red cloak over his clothes.

Father Christmas let out a jovial laugh as the rest of the Pevensies left the cave. "Merry Christmas, sir," said Lucy in awe, slowly walking towards the old man.

"Merry Christmas indeed, Lucy," he answered, "since you have arrived."

"Unbelievable," Hermione heard Susan mutter, and she couldn't help but agree. A wicked witch, talking animals, a cursed land, she could take it all in stride. Yet Father Christmas actually existing seemed like a bit of a stretch. Regardless, he seemed harmless, so Hermione stood back and simply watched.

"We thought you were the Witch," said Peter.

"Yes, yes, I apologize about that," Father Christmas answered, looking slightly bashful, "but in my defense, I have been driving one of these longer than the Witch," he continued, gesturing at the sled.

"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia?" said Susan, in a slightly accusing manner. This came as a surprise to Hermione, it seemed like Narnia would be a place where Christmas was celebrated. Then again, being under a curse by a witch might have put a damper on all celebrations.

"No, for a long time," she started, "but the hope that you have brought, your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witch's power." Hermione wasn't surprised by this; it seemed like anything was possible in this place.

"Still," continued the old man, "I dare say you could do with these". He turned back to his sled and pulled out the bag in the back.

"Presents!" exclaimed Lucy, and Hermione felt a fond smile form on her face. That girl was adorable.

Father Christmas beckoned Lucy to come closer and pulled out of the bag what seemed like a little glass bottle in a red case attached to a belt of the same color. "'The juice of a fire flower," he explained. "One drop will cure any injury." Hermione raised her eyebrows while he handed the bottle to the young girl. _This will come in handy_. "Even though I hope you won't have to use this," he said, leaving the rest unfinished. He handed Lucy a small dagger. Its hilt was a dark red color and ended in the shape of a golden lion.

"Thank you sir," Lucy answered and continued hesitantly, "but I think I could be brave enough."

"I'm sure you could," he agreed, "but battles are ugly affairs." Hermione agreed wholeheartedly with this, remembering the incident at the Ministry of Magic before she came to Narnia. She felt a pang of worry hit her, but did her best to push it aside again.

It seemed that while she had been distracted with her own thoughts, Father Christmas had taken out a beautiful white quiver full of brown arrows with blood red fletchings. It also had a brown bow with delicate red and gold designs wrapped around it.

"Susan," he began, "trust in this bow, and it will not easily miss" he told her.

She stared at it for a moment in confusion, and then looked back at the old man. "What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs'?"

Father Christmas chuckled. "Well you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard," he said. He took out a white horn that ended in an open lion's mouth. "Blow on this, and wherever you are, help will come" he told her.

Susan whispered a thank you and he turned back to the bag. This time he pulled out a sword in a red and silver sheath, which also had a red hilt with a golden lion's head, and a shield made of a metal that shined like silver with a red roaring lion standing on its hind legs right in the center.

"Peter, the time to use these may be soon at hand," he said as he handed them over to the eldest brother. Peter pulled out the sword and Hermione couldn't help but admire it as it glinted with the sun's rays. Thus, it took her by surprise when Father Christmas turned to her.

"Hermione," he said, a silent command to move forward. Everyone turned to stare at her as she advanced, but she tried to ignore their looks. Father Christmas once again pulled something out of his bag, but this time it was two sai swords which, just as the other weapons, had a dark red hilt which ended in a golden lion. "I hope you haven't forgotten," he said.

She hadn't. When she was younger, she remembered having gone to a Japanese Culture festival and seen a fight between two women using sai swords. Hermione had been awed by the strength they showed, and had been convinced that no one would be able to defeat them. Having been bullied during her elementary school years, the idea of being strong like them appealed to her. Hermione thought that if she mastered the art, nothing would be able to hurt her. So she begged her parents to let her take a class in the art of sai swords, and after months of insistence, they had finally relented. She took the class until the day she had to go to Hogwarts, and sometimes even took out her own sai and practiced when she was home.

Hermione grabbed the weapons that Father Christmas held out to her almost reverently, unable to express her gratefulness with words. She immediately felt comforted just by touched their hilts.

"No matter what Hermione, stay strong," he told her in a completely serious voice. "Face your fears head on, and always have hope that things will turn out ok in the end." She instinctively knew he was talking about the curse that was eating away at her soul, and could only give a slight nod.

Father Christmas gave her a smile that seemed slightly wistful and stepped back to look at all the others. She felt their stares gradually turn away from her, except _his_ of course. He didn't glance away until Father Christmas spoke again.

"These are tools, not toys," said the old man. "Bare them well and wisely. Now, I must be off, winter is almost over, and things pile up, when you've been gone a hundred years," he said, chuckling while he put his bag back in the sled.

"Long live Aslan, and Merry Christmas," and with that he climbed back on his sled and was off. Hermione was still too stunned to utter a word as the others yelled their goodbyes. She looked down at the sai in her hands and tightened her grip on them before tying the belt their sheathes were attached to around her waist.

A slightly awkward silence descended on the group, and Hermione remembered she still had her wand, which she had put away after first seeing Father Christmas. She pulled it out of its pocket in her cloak and started to hand it back to Peter when his next words stopped her.

"Keep it. Somehow I don't think you'll try to murder me in my sleep with it anymore," he told her, a slightly humorous tone to his voice. When she met his gaze with her own she saw the silent apology in his eyes and felt relieved, not truly having known the extent of how much it hurt her knowing he thought of her as an evil monster.

"Thank you," she answered him, the simple words charged with meaning. His only response was a slight smile.

"Well," Hermione continued in a stronger voice, now that she had recovered her wits about her, "let's keep going. We want to get to Aslan's camp as soon as possible."

With that, the group resumed their walk and eventually started chatting among themselves again. Hermione once more made sure to walk behind everyone, but was happy to notice that the dreadful feelings with which she had started the journey that morning were now gone.

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**A/N: I had wanted to update this chapter earlier today but my family decided we should have an impromptu outing and it wasn't possible. I just finished the chapter and hope you liked it. I have to admit that I'm not entirely happy with it but I hope the next chapters will be better.**

**This chapter didn't have any Peter P.O.V.s but I assure you there will be more in the future.**

**I wanted to thank all of you for reading/favoriting/following/reviewing my story, especially those last ones. Getting emails with reviews from you guys was what inspired me the most to continue this story. I also want to thank the reviewers who pointed out different faults in my plot since it's because of you that I rethought my plot and am now much happier with it than it was before.**

**Lugia'sChallenger13: Thank you for your question. I must admit that it left me scratching my head and wondering how I missed something so important. Since this little piece of info is crucial to my story, especially now that I have altered the plot, please bear with me and let's just say that the Old Magic of Narnia works in strange ways. I hope you reread the conversations between Aslan and Hermione, which had to do with this and I altered a little. Keep it in mind since it will appear more in the story.**

**ro781727: Thank you for pointing out that important detail about Jadis' background. I have, in fact, read all of The Chronicles of Narnia books, though it's been years since I did. I'm embarrassed to say I totally forgot about that important piece of information, but I went back and change my error. Please bear with me because I'm pretty sure more mistakes will appear throughout the rest of the story. I'd really appreciate it if you could point them out to me if you ever come across them.**

**Lioness2012: I appreciate your suggestion but I have to admit I have too much fun writing from both P.O.V.s and couldn't imagine not continuing to do so.**

**AliceEnchanted: I love getting reviews from you and reading about your opinions of my story. I hope you'll keep reviewing.**

**Thank you all for your support. I'll do my best to not let this hiatus happen again. Until next time!**


	5. Wolves don't just bark, they bite

**A/N: Well. I know I'm a horrible human being, but since I've had you waiting for so long I'll just let you get right to it.**

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**Chapter 4**

**Peter's P.O.V.**

As they trudged along through the woods, Peter found himself thinking about the little witch walking behind him, because really, she _was_ rather small. He didn't regret giving Hermione back her wand, he was pretty sure he could trust her. He'd started having doubts about his behavior the night before when he had treated her horribly, but the turning point was when she told Lucy her story.

Hearing her talk about how life was at her school, the fun she had with her friends, her love for her classes, it all made her seem more human. Especially when she talked about her childhood and how she eventually found out about magic. Father Christmas giving her a gift was the cherry on top; now Peter couldn't fathom how he had ever thought her to be evil.

His mind wandered back to the moment when Father Christmas had given Hermione the sai swords. He remembered the expression on her face when she took them, as if life was brought into her. Peter guessed she had taken lessons on how to use them, which wasn't really farfetched considering she was from the future. He still couldn't wrap his mind around her being a little over fifty years younger than him, and he didn't try as it would only give him a headache.

'No matter what Hermione, stay strong'. Peter kept thinking about the words that Father Christmas had told the girl. At first he thought that the old man was talking about the situation they were in, her having to protect his siblings and him and maybe even going to battle. For some reason though, he didn't think the old man was referring to that. Peter was sure that Hermione was hiding something, but he also got the feeling that she wouldn't harm his siblings or him. He burned with curiosity but knew he didn't have any right to ask. Everyone was entitled to have their little secrets.

They soon came to the top of a frozen waterfall, which thankfully wasn't too high up from the equally frozen river as it seemed like they had to cross it. The group slowly made their way to the ground, all silent as they concentrated on not falling.

When they finally reached the bottom, they all stopped and stared at the frozen water apprehensively. Peter thought it didn't look all that firm, but he knew they had to cross it regardless. He took the first step forward when Susan grabbed his coat sleeve.

"Maybe we should think about this," she said, looking fearfully at the frozen river.

"We don't have time," he told her, trying to step forward again, but his sister didn't let go of him. He started to get frustrated.

"I think we should look for another way to cross; who knows if the ice will hold. I'm just trying to be realistic," she insisted, a slightly frantic look in her eyes. Peter tugged his arm away until she let go, having reached his limit.

"No, you're just trying to be smart, as usual! We don't have time for this; we need to get to Aslan's camp as soon as possible."

"He's right," he heard a voice say softly from behind them. "The Witch is probably on our trail and she'll catch us if you don't hurry," continued Hermione. "I'll go first," she said, making her way to the ice. Peter felt an uncomfortable pang in his stomach at the sight.

Mr. Beaver put a paw up, halting her progress. "Wait, maybe I should go first," he said. He hesitantly stepped on the ice, lightly putting weight on it to see if it'd hold. Thankfully, it did, and he soon beckoned us to follow him and step only where he had.

They made slow progress across the ice, but little by little, they eventually found themselves almost half way through. Suddenly, they heard a wolf howl unnervingly close, and a second later many other wolves howled in response. Peter felt a chill run down his spine.

Seven wolves appeared at the top of the waterfall and soon made their way down, surrounding the river on both sides; there was nowhere to run. One of the wolves in front of them leapt and landed on Mr. Beaver, holding him down. Lucy and Susan let out a scream, and he pulled out his sword, holding it with both hands.

"Put that down boy, someone might get hurt," he heard a voice behind him. He turned around and found Maugrim standing a couple of steps away.

"Don't worry about me, slit his throat!" he heard Mr. Beaver yell from behind him. Peter didn't dare to turn around; he simply tightened his grip on his sword. His hands were shaking, and he tried to control it as much as he could.

He felt someone shifting beside him, and he saw Hermione in the corner of his eye. She had taken her sai out and gotten in a defensive stance. Peter felt comforted by this knowledge and turned his attention back to the threat in front of him.

"My, what have we here?" taunted Maugrim. "Another human. What's your role in this, girl?"

"Nothing that concerns you, wolf," she replied spitefully.

He chuckled. "We'll see about that." Maugrim turned his attention back to Peter. "The Queen only wants for you and your siblings to leave Narnia; you can even take back the one in the castle. No one has to get hurt, boy," the wolf continued, but Peter didn't believe a word of what he said.

He heard the something creak and realized the ice had been even thinner than he originally thought; it would give way soon and he had to make sure they were safely on the other side by then.

"Peter, maybe we should listen to him!" exclaimed Susan. He tensed even more at her comment, frustrated at how easily the wolf was manipulating her.

"Stay out of this," he told her, but he should have known she'd be too stubborn to actually listen.

"Just because an old man gave you a sword doesn't make you a hero! Put the sword down," she added. He didn't respond because, really, what could he say? Susan was right, he was no hero. Peter didn't lower the sword though, if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that the wolf couldn't be trusted.

"Smart girl, your sister," said Maugrim. "Maybe you should listen to her. We won't wait forever, and neither will the river," he added, referring to the continuing sounds of the ice creaking.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should move your ass off the ice and let us go, cause no one believes the crap that's coming out of your mouth," he heard Hermione say and barely kept the shock off his face. The little witch always seemed so polite and nice; he would've never thought something like that could come out of her mouth. It would have been hilarious in any other situation.

"You're starting to annoy me girl; maybe the queen will let me have you as a snack," growled Maugrim.

"You already annoyed me, wolf; maybe I'll wear your fur as a coat," she answered just as snidely. Peter felt immensely proud of the girl.

Maugrim growled and seemed to be preparing to attack when a loud crack was heard. They all looked up to see the ice in the waterfall start to break, and Peter felt panic go through his body. He thankfully still kept enough of his senses to come up with a solution.

"Hold on to me!" he yelled over the loud noise before plunging his sword in the ice below him. He immediately felt his sisters grab him and hoped they wouldn't let go. Peter turned to look for Hermione and saw Maugrim jump at her in the instant right before huge chunks of ice fell on the frozen river. He saw no more of her when the freezing water swept them all away, but he couldn't erase the horrible image from his mind.

He felt as if he were chilled to his bones and held on to his sword for dear life as the water swept them away. He was relieved to feel the tugging on his coat which meant that his sisters were still holding on. Finally, the chunk of ice they were on emerged from the waves, taking them with it. Peter gladly inhaled fresh air into his burning lungs, but he knew it wasn't over yet.

The waves kept crashing against them, but he noticed with relief that the ice seemed to be moving towards shore. As soon as it collided with land he jumped off, immensely relieved to get off that thing. He helped Lucy off and looked around to make sure everyone was fine. Susan was hugging herself and shivering with a scowl on her face, but she didn't seem hurt. Lucy was fine and with a big grin stretched across her face, as if she had enjoyed the ride. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver apparently had managed to survive the current and were shaking the excess water off at the moment. That's when he remembered the horrifying scene he saw right before being plunged into the water.

"Hermione? Hermione!" he yelled, feeling such fear for the young girl that he even forgot the cold. He could tell by the expression on the faces of the others that they hadn't seen what had happened, but understood that something was wrong. They joined him in his yelling for the young witch, their voices turning frantic the longer it took to get an answer.

Just as Peter had felt desperation start to grasp him in its clutches, he noticed a figure coming out behind some bushes, drenched and shivering. Her cloak seemed to have come off at some point in the water. When he reached her, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her, checking her over as he did. She had three scratch lines on the right side of her neck where he assumed Maugrim must have tried to slit her throat. Thankfully, they didn't seem too deep, and he guessed she could just heal them with her wand.

"Are you all right? What happened?" he asked her, rubbing her arms to try and get her to warm up since she kept shivering so much.

"I-I'm f-fine, just really c-cold," she answered, barely getting the words out of her mouth.

Peter paused for a moment before asking, "Did you…?" For some reason he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"N-No, we g-got separated b-by the w-water pretty q-quick," she told him, having understood what he meant.

The rest of the group had surrounded them by the time Hermione had finished speaking. He heard someone gasp.

"Hermione, what happen to your neck?!" exclaimed Susan, horror evident in her voice.

Hermione touched her wound self-consciously and flinched. "I g-guess he g-got a little closer t-than I expected," she muttered to herself. Peter was relived to notice that her teeth seemed to be chattering much less than before.

"You should heal it," stated Lucy, matter-of-factly. Peter noticed how Hermione seemed to immediately tense at that, as if prepared for an attack. Her reaction didn't make any sense to him.

"That's not necessary. It'll heal soon enough on its own, I'm sure," she told his sister, a small and false smile on her face that made Peter instantly suspicious.

"It looks pretty bad Hermione, you should really do something about it," insisted Susan.

Hermione seemed to tense even further and looked away for a moment. "I feel too weak right now to use magic," she explained, turning to look at them again. "I'll heal myself later," she added.

Everyone seemed to accept this, but Peter still felt an inkling that something didn't add up. He decided not push it at that moment and wait until he could talk to her privately. Maybe it would be easier to get answers then.

"Come on, children, we should keep going," said Mr. Beaver, already walking towards the tree line. "It's not much longer 'till we get there."

* * *

As the group trudged on, they started noticing how the snow seemed to be melting and that it wasn't as cold anymore. Mrs. Beaver let out a delighted laugh and looked back at the group walking behind her.

"You know why the snow is melting? It's because you're all here. Her magic is weakening."

Peter was glad that things were getting better, but he was sure it also meant that everyone was going to be more insistent on them fighting the war. He really didn't want his siblings to fight, but he was beginning to think that maybe he should. He was becoming fond of Narnia and felt the need to protect her. If he could do something about it then he would.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a pained gasp in front of him. Hermione was clutching her stomach and had kneeled on the ground. Just like the others, he immediately went to her side but didn't know how to help; he wasn't even sure what was wrong in the first place.

"What's going on? Did the wolf hurt you somewhere else?" asked Lucy, her voice full of fear. Hermione weakly shook her head now before shuddering and letting out a pained groan. She bit her lip so hard it started to bleed, and his worry increased tenfold. He didn't even touch her fearing it might cause her more pain.

After an agonizing couple of minutes her face started relaxing and she stopped groaning. She opened her eyes and stared into his. Peter couldn't help himself and reached a hand out, intending to rub her back to soothe her. He didn't expect his hand to go right through her, though.

* * *

**A/N: So, I know I suck and wont' even give you an excuse for this absence. I didn't really feel all that happy with this chapter and also wanted to make it longer, but I had planned on stopping here and just didn't know how to improve what I had written. The next one will definitely be longer and hopefully better. I want to thank all of you again for supporting me even though I suck at being an author. I hope you won't give up on my story yet.**


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